LAKE NORMAN, N.C. — The color pink has a special meaning for Maddie Richer and her mom Stefanie.
Maddie started growing flowers in their backyard in Davidson not long after Stefanie was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Everybody copes with it differently,” Maddie said, “and I just learned to try the best I can to stay on the positive side.”
They want everyone to stay positive even during their darkest days. That’s why Maddie founded “Petals for Pink.”
For Petals for Pink, Maddie takes the freshly grown flowers from their backyard, styles them in a vase, and delivers them to women in the Lake Norman area who are battling breast cancer.
Donna Leonhardt just finished radiation treatment.
“You don’t really talk about all of the things, all of the emotional things you go through with breast cancer,” Leonhardt said, “this is a journey.”
“I started this after my mom got breast cancer,” Maddie says, “I know how much it impacts the family and the people around you. I do this for a pick people up, to make people feel better, even in the hardest days.”
Mother Stefanie joins Maddie for the deliveries to deliver her story of hope.
“I always say this is a club that no one wants to join or be in,” Stefanie said, “but we meet some amazing ladies along the way.”
Maddie says some women smile, some cry, many do both. Though each petal is delicate, she hopes they symbolize resilience.
“Women are strong, and women are stronger than they think, and they can get through a lot of stuff,” Maddie says.